Editorial Guidelines

Quality Standards

• Our expert writers are committed to sharing investment and financial insight with accuracy to the best of their knowledge.
• We thoroughly vet all our contributors to ensure they have real-life, in-the-field experience with the topics they cover.
• Content is professionally edited and fact-checked with the aim of providing our audience fair and accurate information.
• If you ever question the integrity of an informational guide, blog article, podcast episode, video, etc. that we publish, please feel free to call attention to it for review by emailing [email protected].

Editorial Integrity

Disclosure

Review Methodology

Research phase

• Approach the product or service with an open mind
• Gather factual specifications about the product or service through up-to-date primary sources (i.e. the product or service’s own website and press releases, etc.)
• Fact-check product specifications, service offerings, etc. through well-respected sources
• Validate specifications through first-hand experience when possible
• Gather information regarding consumer sentiment, positive and negative, through trustworthy secondary sources, such as consumer surveys and websites that provide consumer reviews

Writing phase

• Aim for a detailed, objective, balanced synopsis
• Focus on generating value for the reader, i.e. give as much useful information as possible to help readers make decisions
• Point out the pros and cons of the product/service straightforwardly
• Illustrate general offerings and product specifications
• Screenshot and link to areas of product/service website when applicable
• Summarize existing sentiment, positive and negative
• Make clear who might most benefit from this product/service, as well as who might be better off with an alternative

Approval phase

• Pass all reviews through the editorial approval process, which includes the review being read and approved by at least one other member of the editorial staff

Updating phase

• Revisit reviews periodically to ensure that information is up-to-date and continues to be helpful to consumers. Any updates will need to be approved in accordance with the approval process set forth above.
• Any disputes with factual elements of reviews brought to the editorial staff by a consumer or the company offering the product or service should be routed through the dispute process, which involves flagging the review for examination of its integrity and accuracy by emailing [email protected]

General Review Criteria

User Friendliness

• Is product/service website straightforward to use?
• Are offerings clearly laid out?
• Is signing up/purchasing product/service an intuitive process?

Breadth of Offerings

• Are the company’s offerings similar, better, or worse than what competitors in the space offer?
• Is what the company offers specific to a certain demographic, experience level, or niche of investor?
• What does the company excel at offering? Where does it fall short?
• Does the company offer any above-and-beyond services, such as a dedicated app, 24/7 customer support, etc.?

Pricing

• Is the company’s pricing competitive to similar companies in the space?
• What does the pricing cover?
• Is the pricing structure straight-forward?
• Does the company offer any promotions (short or long-term)?

Customer Support

• Is there an easy way to contact support via the website?
• What do existing reviews say about the company’s customer support?
• During which hours is customer service available?

Review Integrity & Independence